During the Middle Ages, trade on the Mediterranean Sea was primarily controlled by a combination of Italian city-states, such as Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, which established powerful maritime republics. These cities dominated trade routes and established networks for the exchange of goods, including spices, textiles, and precious metals. Additionally, the Byzantine Empire and later the Ottoman Empire played significant roles in controlling trade, particularly in the eastern Mediterranean. This dynamic led to a complex interplay of commerce, politics, and culture throughout the region.
By the time the middle ages were in full swing the silk road that had brought in the trade goods from China was gone. So, there was no trade between Europe and China in the middle ages. It was too far, took too long, and was too dangerous to make the trip. They got the silk from different kinds of animals.
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The Ottoman Empire controlled the land trade-routes between East Asia and Europe. As a result, it was able to dominate trade until the Europeans circumvented Ottoman-controlled lands by finding an all-water route to East Asia in the sixteenth century.
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Italian city-states controlled trade on the Mediterranean Sea during the late Middle Ages.
Mediterranean trade after AD 1200 was controlled by Italian towns including Genoa and Venice.
Silks and spices were prized during the Middle Ages. The trade was largely controlled by the Venetians. More indirectly, for most Europeans, it was controled by Arabs and the Byzantines.
Rome and Carthage fought each other for the control of the Mediterranean trade. Whoever controlled the trade routs, controlled the wealth.
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Throughout Europe, the two primary groups that controlled trade routes were the Venetians and the Hanseatic League. The Venetians dominated maritime trade in the Mediterranean, leveraging their strategic location and advanced shipbuilding. Meanwhile, the Hanseatic League, a confederation of merchant guilds and towns in northern Europe, controlled trade across the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, facilitating commerce between various regions. Both groups played crucial roles in shaping the economic landscape of their respective areas during the Middle Ages.
Italy
By the time the middle ages were in full swing the silk road that had brought in the trade goods from China was gone. So, there was no trade between Europe and China in the middle ages. It was too far, took too long, and was too dangerous to make the trip. They got the silk from different kinds of animals.
Before the Phoenicians, maritime trade in the Mediterranean Sea was primarily controlled by the Minoans and the Mycenaeans. The Minoans, based on the island of Crete, were known for their advanced maritime culture and trade networks, thriving from around 2000 to 1450 BCE. Following them, the Mycenaeans, who emerged around 1600 BCE, expanded trade routes and engaged in commerce across the Mediterranean, particularly with Egypt and the Near East. Their influence set the stage for the later dominance of the Phoenicians in maritime trade.
Egypt
Egypt
North Africa and the Middle East.